


coming home (to where you are)

by vending_machine



Series: dibble-dabble dribble-drabble [2]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Baking, Character Death, Drabbles, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of War, Murder, Reincarnation, Violence, cake shop, warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-27
Updated: 2015-01-30
Packaged: 2018-03-09 09:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3244481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vending_machine/pseuds/vending_machine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>reincarnation fic where the pairings find each other again</p><p>may or may not be considered a sequel to 'all around us', it works either way ^.^</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. KagaKuro

Incarnation #12

_Newscaster: ‘And moving on, our next headline for this evening is regarding a very peculiar friendship. A young boy from the Tokyo area today managed to sneak his young dog into Ueno zoo. And by means as yet unknown, the puppy escaped from his master and managed to somehow enter the tiger’s cage. However, to the astonishment of the zookeepers and today’s guests as the zoo, instead of attacking the smaller animal as would be expected, the tiger instead came close, as we can see from this camera footage, but did little else. They have spent the entire afternoon together without any issues. The zookeepers are baffled, but not inclined to separate the two when they seem so close already._

_Here, you can see the two of them sleeping peacefully together, the puppy clearly protected by the tiger’s larger body. The odd reddish stripes are somewhat rare, but the zookeepers have said that there is nothing wrong with the tiger. Indeed, he is a very playful animal, if a little fierce at times…’_

 

Meanwhile the tiger in its cage, as if feeling all of the gazes of the visitors on his newfound friend, wrapped his body more tightly around the small puppy as if to hide it from view. Blue eyes, the same as those that had gazed into familiar red ones thousands of times in the past, glanced up, but only burrowed closer into red heat. The tiger grumbled a little, red eyes blinking slowly, but only yawned and placed its head on its paws, tired and at peace. They had found each other again, against all odds, and would stay together. They had promised each other that every past life, and didn’t intend to break it now.

 

**_ Incarnation #29 _ **

Kuroko idly doodled across his sketchpad, staring out at the basketball court and wondering how much long he’d have to wait. It had been here where it had all started, and the two of them across eternity had always seemed to revolve around this spot whenever they’d been reborn in Japan, and Kuroko prayed fate hadn’t changed its tune now.

He was just glad they had basketball in this world, this life. It had been quite a few times since he’d got to see Kagami’s body move across the court with the sheer delight that he’d always had when playing. The basketball baka. A small smile flitted across his lips, almost too fast for the usual observer to see.

The sky slowly grew dark in the sky, the sketchbook’s pages staying empty but for a few absent-minded doodles. Kuroko sighed. It looked like he’d remembered earlier, this time. It wasn’t a common occurrence, but had happened enough before that he knew he’d be made to wait. Kagami wasn’t exactly quick on the uptake. Though that was just another reason in the long line as to why Kuroko had always loved him and always would.

With a sigh, Kuroko got up and headed home, knowing he’d come back tomorrow, and the day after that, and however many days it took for his redhead to come back to his side.

 

_three months later…_

Kuroko looked up from his sketchbook as an ungraceful yelp sounded in front of him. Blue eyes landed on dark red hair and his heart stopped, his entire being tensing up before relaxing, utterly content as the head of the man that had fallen over at his feet looked up and familiar red eyes met blue.

“Have you waited long?” Kagami asked huskily, getting up and brushing himself off, before drawing Kuroko into a hug as if he couldn’t help it, holding him tight.

Kuroko thought of the three months he’d waited in rain or cold, and wondered if he should tease his lover. But the arms that were around him were filled with the love he always knew he would find there and he lost all the will for it.

“Not at all,” he replied softly, knowing he’d have waited a long longer if necessary. “Welcome back.”

Kagami blinked, looking stunned for a second. But a smile spread to his face as lips brushed Kuroko’s briefly.

“I’m home.”


	2. AoKise

_Sometimes life just doesn’t go the way you want it to._

Those words reverberated in Aomine’s skull as he stared across the room, his body slowly going cold as the sight finally registered in his brain and he could process the scene.

Blond hair, golden eyes, that face he’d been searching for. But not like he’d wanted. Blood covered the left side of the smooth, pale skin, marring the beauty of it and covering up the cuts that had delved deep into his face. Stepping forward, Aomine could see the knife on the floor by the blond’s feet, knew from the report that that very knife had been thrust into toned flesh 34 times. That the golden eyes had been sucked of life after the fifth stab wound.

The woman who’d killed him, who’d taken the sun from the world, was lying on the other side of the room. A rope around her neck connected to the shower rail.

Aomine closed his eyes. He’d been too fucking late. Every god damn fucking time, he was always too late. Was this penance? What had he done in his last lives to deserve this? If he’d only been ten minutes earlier he could have saved the blond. Could have taken away his suffering. Could have been reunited, could have apologised for every time he’d fucked up.

_Could have. Would have. Should have._

But, again, it was too late. Too late to find solace in golden eyes. Too late to seek warmth from the sun. Too fucking late. He had lost his soulmate, and Aomine could feel himself go cold down to his very bones, sucking the last of the warmth out from him.

He sighed, logging in his observations dispassionately as the drones did their work around him, taking samples and everything for the case files. He was a cop, and had to behave like one. Despite the main reason for his existence having been ripped away before he could even find it, he had to go on. He _would_ find him again, would it take another thousand years. He wouldn’t let this continue. He couldn’t.

 

_Three lives later_

Aomine came to a halt on the basketball court, having been venting his frustrations on the ball, on the hoop, as a familiar figure came to a stop in front of him.

This couldn’t be happening. Aomine had all but given up. He’d tried four times already, and always been too late. Having lost him once, Aomine had done nothing but suffer for four, long incarnations.

“Aominecchi,” a voice softer than the first, but stronger in a million more ways, called out his old nickname and he felt himself shatter.

“Kise,” he replied, turning and instantly being blinded by golden eyes brighter than the sun. “You’ve led me on a hell of a chase.”

The golden eyes melted, tears falling from sad eyes. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, taking a step forward but crumpling to his knees. “I could never find you, either. Or I wouldn’t remember until the very end.”

Aomine came to stand in front of the blond, kneeling down so they were on the same level.

“Don’t cry,” he said roughly, brushing away the glittering drops. “You found me this time, didn’t you?”

“We could have had so many lives together,” Kise murmured, hand coming over Aomine’s on his cheek. “If it hadn’t been for my stupidity.”

Aomine sighed. It was true. But at the same time, he couldn’t regret it. Not when he had his other half back in his arms again. “We have this one,” he said gruffly, and allowed Kise to envelope him in a hug, holding him tight as the blond sobbed wordless thanks into his shoulder, as he comforted his soulmate as best he could.

“And I’m not letting you go this time,” Aomine added, “Understood?”

Kise pulled back enough to meet navy blue orbs and nodded, heart pounding in relief and happiness.

“Don’t ever let me go again. Not without you,” he whispered. “There’s no meaning without you.”

“I know,” Aomine agreed gruffly, “It’s the same here, asshole.”

Kise chuckled a little, the clouds on his face breaking to let the light of the sun shine from his smile. “I’ve always loved you, Aominecchi.”

“And I’ll always love you, Ryouta.”


	3. MidoTaka

“Midorima-sensei,” the voice was muffled through his office door. Midorima jerked awake, grey eyes burning into his vision for no apparent reason. He knew no-one with that eye colour, never had. So why was it so damn familiar? Why did those eyes insist on haunting him in his dreams?

He rubbed his temples, calling whoever was outside into his office. He hadn’t properly slept for 24 hours now, still on overtime and only catching short naps wherever he could, but that was the life of a doctor. He rubbed his hands together, feeling cold. But then, he was always cold. Not literally, his body was in excellent health, of course, but he could never quite shake the feeling of being cold off. No matter how many people he was around, no matter what he did, he was never warm. And as such, ever since he was a child he’d limited his contact with others, until he really was quite alone. But he didn’t care. There was just something… something missing. And he could only hope that he’d know when he found it.

“Yes?” he asked, staring down the nurse that was now standing a little nervously in front of his desk.

“Ah, well, we’ve had an influx of patients,” the nurse said hesitantly, “and were wondering if you could offer your services to A&E for an hour or two.”

Midorima sighed, glancing at the clock. One a.m. “Bring coffee,” he answered, getting up and striding out of his office towards A&E.

“Y-yes Sir!” the nurse squeaked. “Um, exam room three is free for your use,” she added, before ducking down a side corridor towards a vending machine for his coffee.

Midorima sighed again, wishing he’d worn his glasses instead of contacts, feeling his eyes protest at how long they’d been in. But to be fair, he hadn’t known his usual eight hour shift would have turned into a twenty-four hour one because a bug had gone round and half of the other doctors were ill. And Midorima was a neurosurgeon for god’s sake, he shouldn’t really have to be doing these sorts of jobs.

But he couldn’t refuse. He’d only be going back to a lonely apartment anyway. As much as he wasn’t very good with people, he was even less skilled at understanding himself, at the gnawing ache that came to bother him whenever he was alone.

He let himself into the small exam room, making sure everything was as it should be. The nurse came in barely two minutes later, bearing coffee and, surprisingly, a can of shiruko as well. Midorima blinked at it in surprise, having been unaware that the nurses knew what he preferred to drink, but before he could say anything the door was shutting again as the woman left.

He sat down with a sigh, sipping the coffee and hoping the caffeine in it would kick in soon. Not even five minutes had passed when the door opened, and the nurse led in a patient.

The male had short-ish black hair, currently held tight under bandages wrapped around his forehead and over one eye. The other was squeezed shut as the nurse carefully guided him to sit on the bed. Midorima watched silently, wondering what it was that had suddenly put every part of him on edge. It couldn’t have been a reaction to the coffee, he’d been drinking the stuff far too often for it to affect him this much. So what on earth had caused his entire being to go on alert?

The male was in his late twenties, a couple of years younger than Midorima, he noted as he took the offered chart. In for falling down the stairs and cutting his forehead open. Concussion likely.

Midorima sighed and leant in towards the patient.

“I’m Midorima,” he broke the silence as he got up and fetched the bandages and other things he’d need. “I’ll be looking after you today.”

“Takao,” the man replied, a little hoarsely.

“How did this happen?” Midorima asked, wanting to confirm.

Takao sighed, but sat still as Midorima slowly started to unwind the bandages around his head. “I couldn’t sleep,” he admitted lowly, and Midorima paused as the voice reverberated inside him. What was it about that low tone that was so comforting? So familiar? He refocused as Takao continued to talk. “So I was going to go for a run, but I’ve just moved into a new apartment and haven’t quite got the layout of it right yet. So I was an idiot and fell down the stairs. My neighbours found me and called the ambulance.”

“You were alone before they found you?” Midorima checked.

The patient nodded, then winced. “Yep.”

Midorima wondered at the loosening in his stomach, when it didn’t mean anything to him. What did it matter? Besides, the male might have a lover, a wife anyway, and have just been spending the night alone. If he’d just moved, he could have his family elsewhere. And what did it matter anyway? Midorima forced back the thoughts but the confusion lingered. He had no time for this, he told himself sternly, as he found the antiseptic wipes and pulled his chair so he was sat right in front of the patient, legs almost touching.

“I’m going to clean away the dried blood now,” Midorima murmured, “so if you can, keep your eyes closed. It might sting some, but let me know if it hurts.”

“Okay,” Takao sighed. Midorima’s hand carefully and tenderly dabbed away the blood from the head wound. It wasn’t a deep cut, just quite wide, and would probably ache for a few days to come.

“You’re very gentle,” Takao commented as Midorima finally cleared away the excess blood and could inspect the wound properly.

“I have to be,” Midorima replied, a little confused. Takao smiled a little, a quirk of the lips that Midorima couldn’t look away from.

“I suppose,” Takao agreed quietly. “Your hands are cold,” he added, eyes still shut as one of his hands wrapped around Midorima’s long fingers.

“So are yours,” Midorima frowned down at the sight, but he didn’t object to it. Instead, he was fighting off the weird urge to lace their fingers together, to squeeze gently, to pull Takao close.

Shaking off those thoughts yet again, he carefully applied the paper stitches to Takao’s forehead where the cut needed it, then wrapped it up once again.

“I’d like to keep you over night,” Midorima murmured, slowly easing back from Takao, “just in case you have a concussion or anything.”

Takao nodded.

“You can open your eyes now,” Midorima added, turning to fill in the paperwork.

Midorima felt the gaze as it landed on his but focused on the work, filling it in properly.

Finally, he looked up, and lost his breath. He felt like all of the air had been sucked into him as tired green eyes landed on the grey ones of his dreams.

“Shin-chan?” a soft, surprised voice shocked him, left him feeling as if he’d been sucker-punched.

The world span, the only anchor those grey eyes that held him captive.

“What took you so long?” he found the words being pulled out of his mouth, as memories that were his and yet were not his filled his head. Of two lifetimes, alone, constantly searching for grey eyes and a wickedly sinful grin.

The grey eyes filled with tears, “I could ask you the same,” Takao replied softly. “But I have you now.”

Midorima couldn’t stop the soft smile coming to his lips as he did what he’d wanted to earlier and laced their fingers together, gently squeezing. “That you do,” he agreed, warm once again.

 


	4. MuraHimu

_“Why do you want to **bake**?” _

_“Ew, so girly.”_

_“What, he bakes? Don’t make me laugh. That’s so lame.”_

Himuro ignored all of the voices ringing through his head as he focused on filling his shu cream pastries. He, in all truth, didn’t know why he was driven to bake, what made him need to create cake after cake after cake, to decorate biscuits and create a huge mound of snacks. He only knew that it was important to him, that something would happen if he kept it up. He couldn’t even explain it, just a gut feeling that as long as he kept making this, as long as he kept his shop and tiny café going, what he was looking for would come to him.

Not that he even knew what he was searching for at this point. Maybe for the nightmares to finally stop, though he’d long resigned himself to them. Dreams of a cold body wrapped around his, providing comfort even if it was unable to provide warmth, and being ripped away from it, no longer with the other half of himself.

And he was still cold. Feared that he would always be cold.

With a sigh, he finished the last shu cream and placed it on the tray, walking through the double doors to put it on display. That was the last for this morning, his brother Kagami would be in to make lunch for the cafe, and Kuroko, Kagami’s lover, would be in at the same time to help make the drinks behind the counter.

Swapping his chefs apron for the waiters, he did a quick sweep of the café floor and opened the door, switching the sign from ‘closed’ to ‘open’.

He greeted the first few customers, Kuroko having arrived to also help work the coffee machine and everything went as smoothly as ever.

Himuro had been doing this for the last few years, and with each day he wondered if it was really even worth it. He didn’t even know what he was waiting for, let alone when it would come. But when he thought of quitting… he just couldn’t. All he could do was hope.

It was after lunch when his stomach tightened, his heart started to race and his palms broke out into a clammy sweat. All because a tall, purple haired guy had walked into his shop. The other male wasn’t exactly handsome, but as empty purple eyes met his Himuro found his heart rising to his throat.

“G-good afternoon,” he said as brightly as possible and wincing at the harsh sound of his own voice, choked with nerves, “What can I get for you?”

Purple eyes assessed him slowly, the man humming for a long moment. “Today’s special cake,” the man decided after what felt like an eternity of purple eyes holding him still. “And a cup of coffee.”

Himuro nodded. “Please, sit wherever you like,” he gestured to the remaining tables and went to prepare the cake as Kuroko made the coffee.

Taking them over, Himuro took deep breaths to calm himself. He didn’t know this man, as much as his instincts were screaming otherwise.

“Thank you,” the stranger drawled in a low voice, drawing the cake towards him.

Himuro nodded and left, surreptitiously wiping his hands on his apron as he went back to the counter and welcomed a few more customers in the time it took for the purple-haired guy to finish his coffee and cake.

It was perhaps the hundredth time that Himuro glanced over at the stranger when the other guy finally moved from his chair. Himuro moved over to the till, waiting patiently for the customer, plastering his best ‘welcome’ smile onto his face.

“I hope you enjoyed the cake?” he asked as the man handed in his receipt and a 5000 yen bill.

“I’ll be back,” was all the other guy said, but purple eyes took a hold of dark grey again and didn’t let go until the register pinged open. Himuro suddenly knew that _this_ , this man here, this man’s approval, was what he had spent so long baking for. How he would ever admit that, he wasn’t sure, but he wasn’t sure he’d need to.

“I… thank you very much,” Himuro finally settled for, feeling utterly stupid as his usually smooth lines disappeared alongside his ability to think.

“See you,” the man left the café with a lazy wave and Himuro found his eyes following the broad back until it disappeared from sight around a corner.

“See you,” Himuro murmured, somehow absolutely sure that the other male’s words were true, that they would see each other again. And even though he didn’t know if the other male felt the same, Himuro somehow felt that he did. That this, somehow, inexplicably, was meant to be. That some force had brought them together. Himuro, his heart suddenly lighter than it had ever been, couldn’t stop the smile that rose to his lips, nor could he stop the quiver of excitement that fluttered in his belly. His other half would always come back to him. That much he knew for sure. And so he would wait, for as long as need be.

 


	5. AkaFuri

Furihata stared into familiar red eyes, memories of past lives flooding through his head, filling his every cell, full to the brim with love and pain and loss and hope and wishes.

“A-Akashi-kun?” he whispered, falling to his knees.

The redhead caught him easily, guiding them both to the cold ground. They were on a basketball court, which seemed fitting when Furihata remembered their first meeting perhaps two, three lifetimes ago.

“I told you,” Akashi murmured, “The fates would not deny you us a second time.”

“Us?” Furihata echoed, “What happened to the two of you?”

“We are now one,” Akashi replied softly, a gentle hand patting through brown hair several shades lighter than usual. “We are reunited as one soul, rather than two.”

Furihata nodded, still in a bit of a daze.

“I’ve been looking for you,” Akashi murmured, “I remembered early, this time around.”

Furihata nodded, the impact of everything finally settling into his heart. “This… this is really real? Not another dream?”

Akashi smiled softly, pressing lips to Furihata’s and holding him closer. “No dream,” he promised. “My Furihata. It is strange, don’t you think, how we keep our last names no matter the century, the reincarnation?”

“I’m glad,” Furihata replied honestly. “It means I can find you more easily.”

“There is that,” Akashi agreed. “Then, to another long life together. I have missed you, Furihata.”

“And you, Akashi-kun.” Furihata wrapped his arms around Akashi’s neck, burrowing close and pressing his face into a warm neck. Akashi held him close, both feeling whole now they were finally back together.


	6. HyugaRiko

Hyuuga hated war. It was a terrible thing to be good at. And he was one of the best when it came to dire situations. But he hated the gunfire, the screams, the noises as bombs exploded along the ground. The pain, the suffering that the soldiers went through, that the innocent were left with. He hated being ripped away from his friends, from watching younger males lose their lives to causes they probably didn’t even fully understand. He hated everything about it.

But right now, he hated war for an entirely different reason. And that reason stood in front of him, calmly giving out orders as she kept a calm face. The face that had haunted him in his dreams since he had been old enough to dream. And the fact that, when they had finally been reunited, after a lifetime of pain, they would be separated again.

The rest of the squad left the room and Hyuuga stared at Riko as she looked out of the window, face stoic and as beautiful as ever.

“We got the short straw this time, Hyuuga.”

“I know,” Hyuuga hesitantly moved over, taking her hands gently. “Each lifetime it has always taken me too long to approach you. And now in this one, before I can even start I’m to be taken away.”

“It’s not forever,” Riko whispered, turning to him and giving in to her emotions for a brief second, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling herself close. “I won’t let it be.”

Hyuuga pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head. “I will do everything humanly possible to come back to you,” he promised. “I’m not letting you go for long, this time.”

Riko nodded, hugging him tight for a long moment. “You better not,” she warned, and Hyuuga chuckled.

“I’ll be back in three months,” he promised softly. “We’ll build that house and have those kids like we promised before.”

She nodded, tears welling up briefly before she forced them away.

“See you in three months,” she agreed quietly, brushing his lips briefly with hers before sending her soulmate away. But he would be back, and they would be together. She believed that, _had_ to believe that, with all her heart.


	7. MitoKoga

Six-year-old Koganei stared with wide eyes at the boy standing opposite him on the grass. The border line between his house’s front lawn and the other boy’s was between their feet, the only thing dividing them.

“Hi!” Koganei said with a wide grin, thrusting out his hand as he’d been taught by his dad. “I’m Koganei, but you can call me Koga! What’s your name?”

The boy blinked, looking a little confused. He was a little taller than Koganei and the smaller boy hoped he’d done the right thing, slowly retracting his hand as it hung out awkwardly. But all the boy did was bring out a small notepad and show Koganei a page from it.

“Mitobe?” Koganei blinked, still a little bewildered. “That’s your name?” he asked, it clicking in his head after a minute.

The other boy nodded, eyes hesitantly meeting his.

“Can’t you speak?” Koganei asked innocently. He’d never met someone who couldn’t talk before.

The other boy shook his head, opening his mouth as if to speak, but no sound came out.

“I see,” Koganei nodded, looking thoughtful, “how do you talk to people then?”

Mitobe made a few hand gestures, confusing Koganei again for a long moment.

“Those… were words?” Koganei asked.

Mitobe nodded, looking a little crestfallen.

“Teach me?” Koganei asked, making Mitobe blink in surprise. The other boy stared down, having never had to teach anyone anything before. No-one had been interested in a boy that couldn’t talk. It’s why his parents had had to move for him, so he could go to a special school and so the bullying would stop.

Koganei grinned brightly. “We should be friends!” he added enthusiastically. “So teach me how to talk to you, and we can do lots of things together? Okay?”

Mitobe blinked again, but felt his heart swelling as he looked into the bright, honest eyes of the boy opposite him.

“ _Shinjiiiii!”_ Koganei blinked as his mother called him from inside his house. “ _Dinner!”_

“I have to go,” Koganei sighed. “But we should meet again! It’s the weekend tomorrow, do you want to meet here? And you can teach me how to talk! I’ll bring paper and stuff just in case, but it’ll be fun!”

Mitobe nodded, his heart feeling lighter in his chest all of a sudden as Koganei waved and ran back into his house, almost tripping over the doormat. Mitobe found a smile spreading to his face as he hurried back into his own house to tell his parents that he’d made his very first friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so short - I'm so sorry!!  
> I was busy with another fic and life happened and omg I'm so busy all of a sudden and ugh...
> 
> but this is the end of this fic - I've got one more with a theme of 'nightmares' that'll be up in a week or so as I finish rereading it/finishing the last couple of pairings around uni work/readings/house viewings etc etc etc...
> 
> as always, kudos & comments always v. much loved/appreciated <3

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back! earlier than I'd intended, but now 21 (cries) and just as irresponsible and in love with these basketball boys as ever <3
> 
> I'm doing this at the request from a comment on all around us, and also because I enjoy writing all different pairings in short drabbles, so I'm going to do a very loose kind-of-but-not-really-a-series thing. if anyone has any prompts/requests they'd like for other drabbles, I'm open! hoping to get ones up every other day or so as I work on like 4 other fics I'm trying to write at the same time too...  
> anyway, going off track aha...
> 
> kudos & comments always much appreciated <3


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